# Any Latin scholars in the audience? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960 "2013-02-21T11:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/1 "2013-02-21T11:16:36Z")
Have I translated the following properly? “Time’s a thief” = _Tempus furtum est_ Thanks in advance. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/2 "2013-02-21T12:15:34Z")
Furtum means “robbery” or “theft.” Your phrase means “Time is theft.” If you want to say “Time is a thief,” you might try “Tempus ereptor est.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/3 "2013-02-21T12:26:26Z")
OK, thanks. A few more, if you don’t mind: _Pax via militaris_ = “Peace through strength”? _Sicunt aquilae_ = “Like eagles”? _Nemo et nihil_ = “[Trust] no one, [believe] nothing”? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/4 "2013-02-21T15:20:22Z")
First one should be “Pax via fortis”. “Nemo et nihil” means “No one and nothing”. You can get away with leaving out some words, but not the main verbs. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/5 "2013-02-21T15:41:47Z")
“People called Romane, they go home?” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/6 "2013-02-21T15:46:56Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > “People called Romane, they go home?” Actually, it was “Somebody called Romanus… they go… the house?” Without a preposition (like “ad”) and without the accusative case, “domus” just means “the house,” with no indication that it’s a destination. ---
**Author:** ![YourAdHere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/65b543/32.png) [@YourAdHere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YourAdHere)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/7 "2013-02-21T16:19:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > OK, thanks. A few more, if you don’t mind: > > _Pax via militaris_ = “Peace through strength”? > > _Sicunt aquilae_ = “Like eagles”? > > _Nemo et nihil_ = “[Trust] no one, [believe] nothing”? Consider "pax vi " (peace by (means of) force ), or “pax viribus” (peace by (means of) strength ), Or “pax per fortitudinem” (peace through ( or by means of) strength / courage / boldness ) , or “pax fortitudine” ( peace by strength) ---
**Author:** ![YourAdHere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/65b543/32.png) [@YourAdHere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YourAdHere)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/8 "2013-02-21T16:31:21Z")
For "trust no one / nothing " : ‘Credamus nulli’ (let us trust no one/ nothing ) Crede / credite nulli (“trust no one!”) . ‘Crede’ to address one person , ‘credite’ to give the command to multiple people. Or ‘ne alicui credamus’ / ‘noli / nolite credere alicui’ ( let us/ may we not trust anyone) and (do not trust anyone! ) Nihil (nothing ) is defective and has no dative (the case credere (trust / believe ) takes, so you have to use the irregular adjective ‘nullus’ (no). Sorry about the horrible formatting, I’m on a phone and tried to indicate the other possible translations. As indicated, you have a lot of options. Feel free to get more specific. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/9 "2013-02-21T17:59:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > OK, thanks. A few more, if you don’t mind: > > _Pax via militaris_ = “Peace through strength”? _Per vis ad pacem_. > [@](#): > > _Sicunt aquilae_ = “Like eagles”? _Ut aquilae_ - not sure of the correct case of _aquilae_. Or you could use _aquilae similes_. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/10 "2013-02-21T19:41:00Z")
Thanks so much. By “strength,” I mean specifically military strength/preparedness, as opposed to manly strength, courage, or force/coercion. I also want to mean “[We fly] like eagles [to the stars].” I thought of using _Sicunt aquilae/aquili ad astera_, if that makes sense. “Trust No One, Believe Nothing” would be a personal motto on a coat of arms. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/11 "2013-02-21T19:44:34Z")
Does _ereptor_ convey the thought that it’s a sneak thief (but not necessarily a burglar, no B&E), as opposed to someone who just mugs you and takes your wallet and Rolex in the street? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/12 "2013-02-21T20:06:43Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Does _ereptor_ convey the thought that it’s a sneak thief (but not necessarily a burglar, no B&E), as opposed to someone who just mugs you and takes your wallet and Rolex in the street? As you say, there are different types of thieves. “Ereptor” is more of a pillager or plunderer. The word you want is probably “furunculus” (a pilferer or sneak thief). So, the motto would be **“Tempus furunculus est.”** ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/13 "2013-02-21T20:20:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > “Trust No One, Believe Nothing” would be a personal motto on a coat of arms. Hardly seems sincere if you’re not doing the translation yourself. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/14 "2013-02-21T20:34:25Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Hardly seems sincere if you’re not doing the translation yourself. My degree is in Russian, not Latin. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/15 "2013-02-21T21:24:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Thanks so much. > > By “strength,” I mean specifically military strength/preparedness, as opposed to manly strength, courage, or force/coercion. Then Vi / vis / vim is not really the right word. You want _Per arma ad pacem_ (cf _Per ardua ad astra_). > [@](#): > > I also want to mean “[We fly] like eagles [to the stars].” I thought of using _Sicunt aquilae/aquili ad astera_, if that makes sense. That might be something along the lines of _ut aquilae ad astra volamus_. Mottos tend to go for the infinitive which would be _volare_. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-latin-scholars-in-the-audience/650960/16 "2013-02-27T09:42:13Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Then Vi / vis / vim is not really the right word. You want _Per arma ad pacem_ (cf _Per ardua ad astra_). > > That might be something along the lines of _ut aquilae ad astra volamus_. Mottos tend to go for the infinitive which would be _volare_. Missed this one. Belated thanks. 🙂